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Gluten-free Fermented Foods

Whenever one is faced with a sudden dietary restriction it is easy to see the word "no" everywhere you go. Such is the case with a gluten-free diet. No bread, no pancakes, no pasta, no anything... right?

Wrong. There are so many healthy gluten-free options for all of your favorite foods, including fermented foods. You just have to know what to look for.

The first thing to consider is which whole foods contain gluten. They are the glutenous grains: Wheat, Kamut, Spelt, Barley, Rye, and Oats.

There are certified gluten-free oats. The oat grain itself does not contain gluten, but because oats are generally grown near wheat or processed in a facility that processes wheat, oats are only considered gluten-free when they are explicitly labeled as such.

Check the label of any food before assuming it is gluten-free.

Gluten-Free Fermented Beverages

Most of the fermented beverages besides beer or other grain-based fermented beverages are gluten-free, so feel free to try:

Gluten-Free Fermented Dairy Products

Gluten-Free Fermented Vegetables

The great thing about whole, real foods is you shouldn’t have to worry about cross-contamination. Raw vegetables are naturally gluten-free, so feel free to try any fermented vegetables. Some easy beginner recipes include:

As you can see there are plenty of ways to enjoy the delicious flavors and wonderful health benefits of fermented foods, even if you are gluten-free. Have a glass of kombucha, make a kefir smoothie, eat sauerkraut with your supper, or make sourdough pancakes for breakfast.

Eating gluten-free can be even better when you include fermented foods.